Transcript World Pork Industry Perspectives

Development of the sow caliper
2014 Swine Educators In-Service
October 1, 2014
Knauer, M. T., and M. Bryan
[email protected]
NCSU Swine Extension Specialist
 Focus
– Swine genetics and production management
 Appointment
– 70% extension, 30% research
 Start
date – July 2011
Training graduate students

Animal Science – Animal Breeding & Genetics
– M.S. (4)

John Langdon

Cassie Ferring

Austin Putz

Matt Morrison
– PhD (2)

Emily Cook

Miranda Bryan
Evaporative Cooling
Genetics of
Pellet quality
piglet quality
Sow body condition
Selection for improved
reproduction under
heat stress
Outline

Making a case for objective body condition tools

Research associating body condition and
reproduction

Economic impact of implementing the sow caliper

Example feeding strategies

Summary
Sow feeding management concepts
 Repartition
gestation intake to lactation
– Reducing gestation feed intake improves
 Feed
cost
 Subsequent
lactation feed intake
– Increasing lactation feed intake improves
 Litter
weight gain
 Wean-to-estrous
interval
 Subsequent
farrowing rate
 Subsequent
litter size
 Cull
weight
Concept of repartitioning gestation feed
to lactation
Superior
reproductive
throughput
2000
Feed
1500
intake per
sow per 1000
year, lb.
500
0
Gestation Lactation
Feed budget A
Total
Feed budget B
Feeding based on visual body condition
Pros

Inexpensive
Cons

Requires continuous training

Farm to farm variation

Potential for reduce profitability
Problem – visual BCS

If you cannot objectively measure body condition
– How will you
 manage
 will
it?
you improve?
Validating
problems with
BCS
Thin
Optimal
Fat
20
15
% 10
Farm 1
Farm 2
5
0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Caliper score
Sow caliper
Differences in body condition
Trait
P-13
(n=75)
Farm
1
P-23
(n=150)
Farm
2
Parity
3.9
3.4
Weight, lb.
486
545
Backfat, in.
0.90
1.15
Farm BCS
2.9
3.2
Expert BCS
2.7
3.4
Caliper
12.1
16.5
*All means differ (P < 0.05)
Problem – visual BCS
Underfeeding
Overfeeding
High feed costs
Impaired reproduction
Farrowing problems
Well-being concerns
Increased preweaning mortality
Problem – visual BCS
High feed costs
Farrowing problems
↑ preweaning mortality
Impaired reproduction
Well-being concern
Optimal
20
15
% 10
Farm 1
Farm 2
5
0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Caliper score
Sow caliper
Adoption of objective body
condition tools
 Standardize
 Train
farms & people
new/existing employees to visually
score sow condition
 Fast
and accurate tools will reduce
weaned pig cost
Exp. 1 – Define ideal body condition
in relation to reproduction
 Commercial
 August
 1,500
sow farm in eastern NC
2012 - May 2013
whiteline sows
 Multiparous
Sow housing
 Stalls
– Weaning to ~35 days
 Pens
– ~35 days to
farrowing
– 8×10ft
– 4 to 5 sows per pen
Body condition traits
 Caliper
score (CS)

Weight (WT)

Backfat (BF)

Loin eye area (LEA)

Visual BCS
– 1-5 by experienced
technician
Using the caliper – find the last rib
An
objective
body
condition
tool
–
Knauer sow body condition caliper
the sow caliper
The concept…
Adapted from Edmonson et al. (1989)
The concept…
Adapted from Edmonson et al. (1989)
Statistical analysis

Data analyzed with SAS using PROC GLM

Fixed effects
– group
– barn
– group x barn interaction
– parity

Example model
– reproductive trait = group + barn + group*barn + parity
+ body condition trait
Relationships between body condition measures at
breeding with subsequent reproductive performance
CS
CS2
WT
BF
LEA
LEA2
BCS
BCS2
NBA
BW
NW
WW
PS
WCI
= (P<0.05)
2Denotes
quadratic body condition term. NBA= number born alive, BW= litter birth
weight, NW= number weaned, WW= litter weaning weight, PS= piglet survival,
WCI=wean-to-conception interval.
Optimum sow caliper score for piglet survival
95
Piglet 90
survival,
%
85
80
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Sow caliper score
Lighter weight sows had greater piglet
survival
95
Piglet 90
survival,
%
85
80
Sow weight at breeding, lb.
Parity p>0.05
Optimum sow caliper score for
reproductive throughput
30
29
Pigs
weaned 28
per sow 27
per year
26
25
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sow caliper score
Exp. 2 – Define ideal body condition
change in relation to reproduction
 Commercial
sow farm in eastern NC
– 885 sows
– 250 gilts
 Smithfield
 February
Premium Genetics
to August, 2013
Traits measured
Ultrasound backfat
2
3
Sow caliper
4
Farm body condition score
Heart girth (gilts)
28
Backfat, BCS, caliper and gilt
weight traits
Gestation gain
Gain late gestation
Gain early gestation
gestation
breeding
day 35
day 105
Statistical analysis

24 body condition traits related to reproduction

Data analyzed with SAS using PROC GLM

Fixed effects
– farrowing group
– parity

Example model
– reproductive trait = farrowing group + parity + body
condition trait
Results – in general
 Reproduction
associated with
– Gilts
 body
condition change but not specific body
condition
– Sows
 specific
change
body condition but not body condition
Results - gilts
At
breeding
Day of
Early
Late
Day 35 of
gestation gestation gestation
gestation
105
gain
gain
Gestation
gain
NBA
Backfat
STB
NW
NBA
BCS
STB
NW
NBA
Caliper
score
STB
NW
NBA
Weight
STB
NW
NBA= number born alive, STB= stillborn, NW= number weaned.
= (P<0.05)
Results - sows
At
breeding
Day of
Early
Late
Day 35 of
gestation gestation gestation
gestation
105
gain
gain
Gestation
gain
NBA
Backfat
STB
NW
NBA
BCS
STB
NW
NBA
Caliper
score
STB
NW
NBA= number born alive, STB= stillborn, NW= number weaned.
= (P<0.05)
Gilts that gained condition during
gestation farrowed fewer piglets
11.6
12.0
11.1
10.6
11.0
NBA
10.0
10.0
9.5
Early gestation
Late gestation
9.0
8.0
-2
-1 0
1
2
3
Caliper score gain/loss
Identifying “ideal” sow body condition
12.0
11.5
Exp. 1
NW
11.0
Exp. 2
10.5
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Caliper score
11.0
NW 10.5
10.0
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Caliper score
Benchmarking gestation feed intake
30
20
%
10
0
≤ 4.0 4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0 ≥ 6.5
Gestation
feed
intake
per day,
Gestation
feed
intake,
lb. lb.
Agri Stats 2005 to 2010
18,000 sows - implementation of sow
caliper in 2013
savings of $285,000,
$15.82 per sow
5.4
Gestation 5.2
feed 5.0
intake 4.8
per day, 4.6
lb.
4.4
4.2
2012
8 farms – 18,000 sows
2013
Year
2014
18,000 sows - implementation
of sow caliper in 2013
Fast improvement in sow herd body
condition possible

25
Average herd caliper score improved from 18.2 to
15.0 in four months
Optimal
20
%
15
10
Caliper - 9/14/2012
5
Caliper - 1/18/2013
0
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Caliper score
Implications – feeding management
3.5 lb
Gilts
caliper ≤ 11 = 5 lb
caliper =12 to 15 = ? lb
caliper ≥ 16 = 3.5 lb
increase
feed 2 lb
Gestation
breeding ~day 7
day 93
Implications – feeding management
Sows
caliper ≤ 11 = 5 lb
caliper =12 to 15 = ? lb
caliper ≥ 16 = 3.5 lb
ad libitum
Lactation W2E
breeding
increase
feed ???
Gestation
day 93
Implications – feeding management
3.5 lb
Gilts
Sows
caliper ≤ 11 = 5 lb
caliper =12 to 15 = ? lb
caliper ≥ 16 = 3.5 lb
increase
feed 2 lb
Gestation
breeding ~day 7
day 93
caliper ≤ 11 = 5 lb
caliper =12 to 15 = ? lb
caliper ≥ 16 = 3.5 lb
ad libitum
Lactation W2E
breeding
increase
feed ???
Gestation
day 93
Implications – feeding management

Feeding level for “ideal” females may vary between farms
– Variation in drop boxes, etc.

Caliper usage
– Gilts

~7 days after breeding

every 3 to 5 weeks - as needed
– Sows


at breeding

every 3 to 5 weeks - as needed
90% of sows should be “ideal” (caliper score of 12 to 15)
at day 93 of gestation
Summary
 Repartitioning
gestation feed intake to lactation
can improve herd reproduction/profitability
 The
sow caliper is an objective tool that can be
used to manage body condition
– We recommend maintaining sows at a caliper score
between a 12 and 15
– Sow calipers are available to the public – contact
[email protected]
Summary
 Sows
– “Ideal” body condition in relation to sow reproductive
throughput was identified
– Heavy sows have greater preweaning mortality
 Gilts
– A one caliper score increase in body condition during
gestation decreased NBA by 0.57 piglets
Body condition extension materials
 Sow
body condition poster
– Free
– Available @ pork.org – Pork Store
Thank you
Dave Baitinger
Miranda Bryan
Dr. Dustin Kendall
Frank Hollowell
Mark Daughtry
Tommie Dale
Bob Ivey
Stacey Jones
Dr. Cary Sexton
Thank you for your time
Mark Knauer
[email protected]